Samsung has announced a new notebook called the R720.  The R720 has HD graphics and 3D SRS audio.  Some of the features include:
- Intel Centrino 2 processor
- ATI Mobility Radeon HD4650 graphics
- 17.3″ LED display
- 16:9 aspect ratio
- 4 watt stereo speakers
- Subwoofer
- 17 key full size keypad
- Four USB 2.0 ports
- eSATA combo port

No word on pricing, but as far as availability is concerned — it will hit the UK in July.  Windows Vista Home Premium is the OS powering the notebook.

[via UberGizmo]

SiRF has unveiled a new chipset called the SiRFatlasIV.  This chipset combines GPS capabilities with a multimedia processor.  This chipset combo will be used in mobile devices.  The chipset offers a 64-channel location system in the standalone SiRFprima receiver and 500MHz ARM 11 processor for videos and applications.

The chipset has a video post-processing accelerator for T-DMB-DVB-H and CMMB purposes.  There is also an integrated NAND and SD controller.  The SiRFatlasIV also has a touchscreen controller, video input, 10-bit ADC, and USB 2.0 PHY.  Some of the clients that have picked up the new chipset includes Foxconn, ASUS, Navigon, Wistron, and Nextar.

The full press release is available after the jump.

[via SlashGear]

Rumor has it that Sony Corporation is building portable devices that are powered by Google Android, expected to release in 2010.  The devices include a Walkman and a personal navigation device.  Japanese online publication Nikkan pretty much declares the rumor as being true.  The free open source operating system is an ideal choice for Sony as they have reported their first annual loss in the last 14 years.  This makes the cost of the devices lower and helps increase the speed of getting the devices on the market.

[via Engadget/Nikkan]

A regular forum poster over at Mobile-Review.com claims that he or she knows what the specifications of the Sony Ericsson Xperia X2 are.  The rumored specifications are as follows:

- Silver/black combo color
- Sliding QWERTY keyboard
- 8.1 megapixel with auto focus, VGA, 30fps MP4 HQ
- GPS, aGPS
- 3.5 mm headphone jack
- Accelerometer
- 512 RAM
- Customized Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system (will run as fast as the iPhone or better in some cases)
- Ability to upgrade to Windows Mobile 7
- XPERIA panels

Stay tuned to find out when these specs pan out.  No word on the release date or price of this phone, but I’m sure we can expect it in several months.

[via BGR]

On January 1, 2009, a San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District police officer fatally shot an African-American man by the name of Oscar Grant III.  The incident was capture live on video.  I did not embed the video because of how disturbing it is, but I will give you a link here.  The police officer claimed that he was innocent because he said he never intended to actually shoot the victim.

Since this incident has taken place, many people have expressed their outrage on the Internet.  There have been many YouTube video responses to the original video and many outraged comments left on blogs and forums.  Jeffrey Weaver has apparently left anonymous comments on InfoWars.com that threatened to kill the former police officer behind the incident Johannes Mehserle.  Mehserle was arrested after running off to Las Vegas.  He went there because he said he had received numerous death threats.

The FBI has an affidavit that contains the comments that Weaver left on InfoWars.com.  The comments were deleted shortly after they were left, but the FBI was able to retrieve the Weaver’s information anyway.

Weaver supposedly used the alias “F**kThePigs” and he wrote “F**k the pigs and if I find out who the pig is then I will kill the pig who killed him.”  Shortly after this comment was left, another commenter posted the address to Mehserle’s home.  Weaver was accused of leaving an additional comment after the address was posted: “now that I know who he is and where he is its only a matter of time and his punishment will be to watch his ***** and his baby get wasted in front of him . . . this isn’t a threat its a ****ing promise . . . because justice will be served death wish charles bronson vigilante style. . . .”

Several days later, a comment from the same IP address threatened to kill a police officer in Martinsville, Virginia.  The Virginia police officer that was being threatened had killed a 17 year old with a Taser gun.  In the Virginia police officer message, the comment claimed that he had a gun too.  Below is the message:

“All I got to say is that I’m within 100 miles of where this incident happened at and reading this makes my blood boil. Maybe I should drive to Martinsville with my 9mm Glock and some teflon coated armor piercing Black Rhino hollow pointed rounds and do the world a favor by ridding the world of this piece of s**t pig . . .”

After finding the death threat evidence, Mehserle’s father contacted the FBI.  The FBI had subpoenaed Alex Jones, the man behind InfoWars.com and they were able to retrieve the IP addresses of the comments that were posted.  All of the IP addresses connected to Weaver.

The affidavit also claims that Weaver was convicted in 1986 for dealing marijuana.  Weaver had also made death threats to Cox Communications employees for cutting off his cable TV.

Weaver admitted to leave the comments when his house was raided a couple of weeks ago.  He said that he was angry when he made the comment and was not planning to hurt anyone.  Alex Jones is not happy about having to hand over the IP addresses of people and because of this incident he is considering turning off comments on his website.

[via Wired: Threat Level]

In 2000, Amazon.com signed a deal with Toys “R” Us to handle the online aspect of their business.  Toys “R” Us handled the inventory and procurement.  Amazon.com would make sure that Toys “R” Us’ website would run as seamlessly as Amazon.com. Every time a purchase would be handled on the website, it would connect to Toys “R” Us’ inventory system.

Toys “R” Us filed a lawsuit against Amazon.com in 2004 for breach of contract.  This is because Amazon.com did not make Toys “R” Us the exclusive provider of toys on their website as agreed.  In 2006, a judge ruled in favor of Toys “R” Us.  Amazon.com finally settled with Toys “R” Us yesterday by paying them $51 million.

“On June 11, 2009, Amazon.com entered into a settlement agreement in its lawsuit with Toys “R” Us, Inc., and its affiliates, with terms that include, among other things, (i) a one-time payment from Amazon.com of $51 million in the third quarter 2009, substantially all of which was unanticipated and will be charged to ‘Other operating expense’ in the second quarter, (ii) dismissal of all claims and counterclaims, and (iii) mutual releases,” stated an Amazon.com filing with the SEC.

Some of the other retailers that is powered by Amazon.com includes Target Corporation, Egghead.com, Pitara.com, etc.

[via TechCrunch]

Sony Electronics has revealed a pair of new headphones called the MDR-NC300D.  The headphones look more sophisticated than the white-colored earbuds that come with an iPod and they have the ability to cancel noise.  The earbuds also have three modes: general mode, airplane mode, and a trains/buses/cars mode.  The MDR-NC300D headphones have the ability to cancel about 99% of background noise.  All that is needed is one AA battery to keep the headphones running for 20 hours.  The cost is ¥40,900.

[via Engadget]

Sony Ericsson has announced that the W995a Walkman will go on sale at all of the Sony Style retail stores around the U.S. on July 6th.  The W995a is very similar to the W995 Walkman model, except that the new version has tri-band UMTS/HSPA (850/1800/1900MHz) radio.  Other specs of the W995a include 2.6″ QVGA display, 8.1 megapixel camera, image stabilization, auto focus, face detection, video calling, WiFi, aGPS, FM radio, Media Go, and Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync.  The phone comes unlocked for a price of around $600.

[via BGR]